WASHINGTON — Food and Drug Administration investigators have found rodents, seeping manure and even maggots at the Iowa egg farms thought to be responsible for as many as 1,500 cases of salmonella poisoning.

FDA officials released their initial observations of the investigations at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms on Monday.

The two farms recalled more than half a billion eggs after salmonella illnesses were linked to their products this month.

The reports released by the FDA show many possible sources of contamination at both farms, including rodent, bug and wild bird infestation, uncontained manure, holes in walls, and other problems that could have caused the outbreak. Positive samples of salmonella linked to the outbreak have been found at both farms.

Officials said they cannot speculate on how the eggs were contaminated, but they said the farms not only violated their own standards but also new egg rules put in place this summer.

In a statement, unidentified officials of Wright County Egg said they are working “around the clock” to address FDA’s concerns and some have already been fixed.

Hillandale Farms released a similar statement, saying some of the issues had already been identified by the company.

The CDC has said this is the largest outbreak of this strain of salmonella since the start of the agency’s surveillance of outbreaks in the late 1970s. For every case reported, there may be 30 that are unreported.

Thoroughly cooking eggs can kill the bacteria. But health officials are recommending people throw away or return the recalled eggs.

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